A Democracy Capable of Defending Itself. Revisiting theLegacy of Karl Loewenstein

Liberal democracies, at this stage of the twenty-first century, are reenacting an old paradox that has resurfaced with particular intensity, their greatest innovative strength, pluralistic openness to organized dissent, can become the channel of their self-destruction. Contemporary authoritarianism rarely erupts through coups d’état or the sudden abolition of constitutions. Rather, it advances from within institutions, using elections, parliaments, and courts to gradually erode the rule of law

Venezuela’s Authoritarian Turn: From Institutional Foundations to Democratic Collapse

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of Venezuela’s path to authoritarianism through the lens of institutional development and democratic decline. The analysis traces how democratic institutions established after 1958 were built on fundamentally flawed foundations, elite capture, personalism, clientelism, and exclusion, which created structural weaknesses systematically exploited after Hugo Chavez\u27s rise to power in 1998. Rather than attributing authoritarianism exclusively to external economic factors, this article demonstrates how the democratization process could not overcome the institutional limitations resulting from the Puntofijo system, ultimately succumbing to deliberate strategies by Chavez and Maduro to concentrate power and reduce democratic constraints

The Dehumanization of Politics: The Case of Carlos Manzo

Mexico is one of the most important countries in Latin America, as it is the second-largest economy and the second-most populous nation in the region, only behind Brazil. However, despite its enormous economic potential, the country has faced a profound security crisis over the past twenty years, resulting in thousands of people being killed and disappeared, triggering forced displacement, and generating millions of victims

The Limits of the International Order and the Reconfiguration of Authoritarian Regimes in Latin America. Interview with Tom Ginsburg

Amid the rise of illiberalism and the weakening of democratic institutions, Latin America faces persistent challenges related to institutional fragility, social inequality, and the strategic use of law by authoritarian governments and leaders. In this interview, Professor Tom Ginsburg, Doctor of Law from the University of California, Berkeley, academic director of the Forum on Freedom of Research and Expression, and author of the award-winning book Democracies and International Law, to whom I am grateful for his time and willingness, analyzes the authoritarian turn in the region, the instrumentalization of laws and courts, and the tensions between international law and the dynamics of state power. Furthermore, he reflects on the role of the opposition, the limits of international mechanisms, and the institutional reforms necessary to strengthen democracy and halt the advance of authoritarianism

The Credible Threat of the Use of Force by the United States and the Transformational Change in Cuba. Interview with Juan Antonio Blanco

At a moment marked by abrupt transformations in hemispheric politics and economics, Nicolás Maduro’s departure from power has reshaped the geopolitical balance in Latin America, particularly for authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. In this interview, Ph.D Juan Antonio Blanco, historian, diplomat, political analyst, and director of the Cuban Observatory of Conflicts (OCC), to whom I am grateful for his time and willingness, analyzes the implications of U.S. foreign policy doctrine and the new dynamics of pressure on the Venezuelan and Cuban regimes. Drawing on a historical and strategic analysis, he reflects on the role of international pressure, the relevance of public opinion, and the real possibilities of a transition to democracy.

Academic Freedom and Autocratization: Perspectives from Mexico

Thank you all for joining this special panel on academic freedom. We are grateful to the speakers who have taken the time to share their ideas on a topic that is increasingly relevant today, not only in Mexico, but around the world, particularly in this shifting landscape for democracies. This is a subject we will undoubtedly revisit throughout the Congress as we discuss democratic erosion and fatigue, autocratic governments, hybrid political trends, and related issues, all of which are invariably accompanied by threats to academic freedom. We would also like to extend our appreciation to Dr. Armando Chaguaceda for his support in coordinating this event

Is Democracy in Retreat? Authoritarianism, Populism and Regional Prospects. Interview with Lisa Zanotti

In recent years, the rise of populist leaderships and authoritarian discourses has reshaped the geopolitical and social landscape across different regions of the world. From Europe to Latin America, governments and political movements have increasingly resorted to rhetoric that invokes ”The People” and ”Democracy”, yet in practice rejects pluralism, attacks the opposition, and undermines democratic institutions. In this interview, Dr. Lisa Zanotti, Postdoctoral Researcher at Diego Portales University, Associate Researcher at the Laboratory for the Study of the Far Right (Ultra-Lab), and Director of the Fondecyt Project, whom I thank for her time and willingness to participate, analyzes the similarities and differences between radical left- and right-wing projects, populism, the opportunities and challenges of a possible democratic transition in Venezuela, and the early warning signs that allow us to identify processes of democratic deterioration in the region and the world

The Role of Political Parties and Public Opinion in the Authoritarian Turn of the Left in Latin America. Interview with Noam Lupu

In recent decades, the weakening of democratic systems in Latin America has been marked by the rise of personalist and populist leaderships, the deterioration of traditional political parties, and growing societal distrust toward democratic institutions. In this interview, Dr. Noam Lupu, Director of the Center for Global Democracy and of the AmericasBarometer project at the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) at Vanderbilt University, whom I thank for his time and willingness to participate, analyzes the political, economic, and social factors, as well as the party dynamics, that have given rise to populist and authoritarian projects in the region. He also reflects on the loss of democratic legitimacy and the methodological challenges of measuring public opinion in authoritarian countries, offering a holistic perspective on the present and future of in the region

Iranian Authoritarian Architecture and the Projection of the ‘Axis of Resistance’ in Latin America

This article analyzes the mechanisms that the Islamic Republic of Iran has employed to exert influence over authoritarian regimes and left-wing governments in Latin America. Drawing on three theoretical frameworks, including soft power theory, proxy network theory, and propaganda theory, this article examines the modus operandi of the Iranian regime in the region, addressing three key dimensions, public diplomacy and soft power, proxy networks, and propaganda and disinformation on social media. Likewise, the text draws on a historical and prosopographical methodology, grounded in academic and journalistic sources, to uncover the architecture of Iranian influence in the region from 2000 to the recent transformations resulting from the detention of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela and "Operation Epic Fury" in 2026

Assange and Russia: When Leaks Become Weapons

Since the end of the Cold War, political debates are no longer framed by a strict opposition of economic systems capitalism vs socialism, democracy vs “popular democracy”, free market vs self-sufficiency. Instead, today’s struggles revolve around each country’s own “optimal path”, defined by its lawmakers. In this context, the rise of globalization and new technologies has fueled more chauvinist and autocratic ways of redefining terms such as freedom, rights, nation, West, and sovereignty. These notions are frequently abused by leaders across the spectrum: left-leaning figures in Latin America such as Gustavo Petro in Colombia or Lopez Obrador in Mexico; ´and right-wing movements in Europe and the Anglo-Saxon world, from MAGA in the U.S. to Reform UK or Viktor Orban’s Fidesz in Hungary